Contrasting shows from the Hatters
THOSE of the County faithful that managed to witness both games last week would be forgiven for thinking that we have two teams wearing the club badge.
Against Brackley and Darlington you couldn’t have seen two more different performances.
At St James Park, Brackley, we played some great football, for 45 minutes, fast flowing forward play that had the home side baffled and had everything except the goal we richly deserved.
I have no idea what happened at half time but after the break we were second best in every challenge and couldn’t string more than two passes together to save our lives.
The faithful, contributing more than 50 per cent of the attendance, made enough noise but the lads couldn’t get going. Maybe the thought of a long trip to Wealdstone had an adverse effect but whatever went through the players’ minds we needed a drastic improvement for Saturday. I think we got it.
Darlington 1883 arrived at EP and so did referee David McNamara (for the second time this season), now if we’d have drawn 3-3 and witnessed a fair, even, end to end game of football, we’d have gone home ruing the dropped points but still happy that the afternoon wasn’t a total waste.
As it was, we did see one team play the beautiful game, the team in blue if you’re wondering.
However, the other lot it seemed were quite happy to foul at any and every opportunity and it has to be said they were aided and abetted by the aforementioned Mr McNamara. John Marsden when racing toward goal was hauled to the ground, a yellow card, fair enough.
Big K is assaulted on the half way line, a Darlo player rushes in, fists flying, another yellow, it was a crazy decision.
Danny Lloyd is fouled twice in the box and the referee waves away both penalty shouts.
Just before their second Big K is again pulled back but the linesman in front of the main stand mustn’t have read the laws of the game recently and just stood there like a Lemon.
On another day we’d have been given one of the penalties, Jimmy Ball’s shot against the underside of the bar would have bounced in and Ben Hinchcliffe wouldn’t have been distracted and saved their opener.
So, on the whole we’re still moving in the right direction.
Keep it up lads, there is a belief spreading out of SK3 that just might see us into the play offs.